Shaq And His Mom Go Back to School With Boys and Girls Clubs

Shaquille O’Neal is a big figure in sports. But he’s also a big figure in working to help young people through various charitable programs and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He and his mother, Lucille O’Neal, are working together with the Boys and Girl’s Clubs of America, of which Shaq was a member, to help bring awareness to their Back to School initiatives.

“Growing up it was a place that I could go and educate myself and learn my basketball skills,” Shaq told the Tom Joyner Morning Show. “Growing up in Newark, N.J. , it was a place that kept me out of trouble. My rules were go over there after school, do your homework, let them check your homework, then you play and then you don’t move until we get there.”

Lucille and Shaq are part of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s “Tools for School” campaign which helps gather supplies and other necessities for young people returning to school in the fall. In addition, Lucille encourages parents to keep their kids fresh over the summer so they’re not left behind when school reopens.

“What we do as parents we want to be able to reinforce the significance of learning. Have your kids read a book for a week. Learn how to read a newspaper so that when school is back in session, at least you’ll be ahead of the game. You can never learn enough.”